EpiX
by EgilMaster365
Summary: [Story Suspended Indefinitely] Blu and his family have been living a great life in the amazon, but a new story begins once more and a new threat rises. Filled with action, adventure, and...Norse mythology? Yes, get ready for an interesting tale.
1. Chapter 1: The Story Begins

Ah, Brazil. The beautiful beaches, lush jungles, and mouth-watering food make it one of the most diverse places on earth. Today was quiet day, for the most part. The majority of the native inhabitants rested, and just enjoyed the simplicity of life. But our story is more specific than this. Our story starts deep in the Amazon rainforest. Here, one may be lucky enough to hear the rhythmic song of the Blue Spix Macaws performing an age old ritual.

_Let's come together, singing love and harmonia_

_We are so different, but we're the same inside our hearts_

_Beautiful colors, just as far as the eyes can see ya_

_Open your wings, fly when you hear the call_

Just then dozens of spix macaws flew out from the jungle canopy and soared through the jungle while singing:

_Let's celebrate,for we are beautiful creatures_

_Come spread your wings, dance and sing songs about freedom"_

After flying in the sky for a few moments, all of the macaws formed circles and danced with impeccable synchronization.

_Like lah lah lah hoo hoo_

_One for the jungle família_

_Like bah bah bah boom boom_

_Calling the beautiful creatures_

The last blue macaws formed beautiful shapes and patterns as they rocketed upwards prior to swooping back down.

_Come this way celebrate_

_Laugh and dance all the way_

_Follow me sing along_

_Lah lah bah bah boom boom_

Just then numerous rows of male macaws flew in from the right, dancing and chanting as they inched ever farther to the left.

_Já disse que Jade chegou_

_Já disse que já disse que Jade chegou_

As if a mirror, perfectly aligned female macaws came in from the left. They mimicked their male counterpart's chants and movements flawlessly.

_Já disse que Jade chegou_

_Já disse que já disse que Jade chegou_

All the birds paused for a second, holding their position in midair. Then they all fell back down towards earth in a free-fall. Just before they collided with the forest floor, they all pulled up. Some spix macaws had such timing that they were able to accomplish this feat over a small body of water. As they flew over it, ripples of water exploded behind them. Other macaws landed on lily pads and prepared to sing the final part of their song.

_Let's celebrate, for we are beautiful creatures_

_Come spread your wings, dance and sing songs about freedom_

_Like lah lah lah hoo hoo_

_One for the jungle família_

_Like bah bah bah boom boom_

_For we are beautiful creatures_

After the song ended the residents of the blue macaw tribe continued onto their daily routine. Some stayed in the area, but most left to complete chores. The amazon rainforest soon returned to its normal tranquil atmosphere, well until…

"TIAGO!"

A small male spix macaw shot out of a nearby tree hollow. A mere second later, a more rotund female spix macaw darted out in pursuit. The two flew at an astonishing rate, considering their respective size, a few mere centimeters above the forest floor.

"You little pipsqueak! Stop now and give me back my ipod!" The infuriated female shouted as she slowly minimized the gap between Tiago and herself. The male macaw looked back over his shoulder while clutching the rectangular piece of plastic in his talons.

"Haha, do you think I'm _that_ dumb sis? Yeah, sure, if I had a death wish I-"

Tigo ceased his rambling and noticed that his sister had drastically decreased her speed, almost coming to a complete stop. Before he could give it much thought, the troublemaker slammed into a soft entity.

"Omph"

Tiago bounced off of the object and landed on his back. The ipod fell next to the little bird, as he had lost his grip on it due to the unexpected collision. Tiago moaned as he rubbed his head, unaware of the looming danger.

"Oh man, what fat mess did I bump…"

His eyes grew in realization as he examined a large shadow casting over him. Tiago slowly lifted his head up until he was eye to eye with the last bird he wanted to see…his mother.

Jewel narrowed her eyes at the chick. Tiago could feel them staring into his soul; it burned the interior of his being as the gaze grew ever more intense.

"Hehe, uh hi mom. You-you look nice and, uh, slender today." The male bird nervously complemented.

Jewel merely growled in response.

"Tiago Gunderson!" She quickly barked.

"What are you doing now?" Jewel interrogated.

"Oh, uh well, you see"

"He stole my ipod mom!" Carla interjected as she flew up next to her brother. She too gave him the death stare, which was most likely inherited from her mother.

"What!? I didn't steal it!" Tiago retorted as he stood up and, now infuriated, faced his sister.

"Oh yeah? Well what do you call taking something that doesn't belong to you?" Carla leaned over and picked up her ipod while countering her brother's argument.

"Borrowing?"

Jewel sighed and shook her head and thought about where her mate was.

"_Oh Blu, where are you when I need a boring lecture?"_

* * *

Flying over a nearby patch of the Amazon, Blu and his daughter Bia were enjoying some quality time together.

"But dad, if you brush your beak for more than four times a day then you're depriving one's body of essential bacterial colonies. Without them you aren't exposing yourself to these microbes enough, and you can become very ill if you happen to come in contact with a germ you body hasn't built up an immunity to." Bia stated, trying to convince her father that over sterilization was just as bad as being like…

"It's just as bad as being like Tiago!" Bia added.

As much as Blu wished that his son shared his love for cleanliness, organization, and education, he couldn't let Tiago be made an example of.

"Bia, how would you like it if you brother used you as an example with a negative annotation?" Blu replied in an attempt to defend his son, instill respect for others in his daughter, and escape the conversation regarding "over-brushing".

Bia sighed.

"I guess you're right dad…I should be nicer to my brother. I mean, it looks like he's changing. Tiago hasn't been getting into as much-"

"Tiago, Carla, get off each other this instant or so help me!" Jewel's voice echoed through the jungle.

Blu exhaled deeply and hung his head.

"Come on Bia, let's go see what my boy did this time." Blu said before diving down below the canopy.

"Maybe I spoke too soon." Bia mumbled to herself as she followed her father.

The father and daughter duo soon landed down near their bickering family.

"Shrimp!"

"Chubby!"

"Twerp!"

"Fat!"

Carla and Tiago shouted while they argued with each other. The two pushed their heads together and stared with vehement anger at one another.

"Grrrr"

"Grrrr"

Bia walked up to her arguing siblings and merely pushed them out of the way, angering them further in the process. She hopped past them and stopped in front of her mother. Bia paid no attention to the looks of shock and disgust she received from her brother and sister. She knew they all loved one other, but currently their emotions were getting the best of them. More concerned with her mother, Bia looked up at Jewel.

"Mom, dad and I were flying around earlier and we came across this." As Bia finished her sentence, she pulled out a pink orchid from under her wing.

"Dad said you look pretty in these, so I brought it back for you." The brainy chick said while she handed her mother the flower.

Jewel smiled warmly in response.

"Thanks honey."

Back with Tiago and Carla, the two siblings had cooled down. They saw the genuine affection demonstrated by their sister, and started to feel bad about letting their emotions get out of hand. Embarrassed and deep in thought, the two birds were staring at the ground. Carla rubbed her left wing with her right, and looked up at her brother. At the same time, Tiago was rubbing his neck with his wing and had looked up at his sister.

"Listen, bro."

"Listen, sis."

They said simultaneously.

"Heh, yeah."

Tiago chuckled.

"Yeah."

Carla agreed and smiled.

Blu, Jewel, and Bia walked up to Carla and Tiago.

"Oh, looks like someone managed to work out their differences on their own this time." Blu chuckled.

"No, Blu. They aren't getting off the hook that easily. Not after _that_ misbehavior." Jewel firmly stated, not wanting Blu to let their chicks go without any form of comeuppance.

Blu turned towards his wife and arched a curious brow.

"Well, what did you have in mind for these two troublemakers?"

Jewel looked at her two children and smirked.

* * *

"This sucks!" Tiago grumbled while filling a cup with water. He was on the sidelines in the pit of doom.

"Hey Tiggy, having fun?" A female voice rang out. Tiago growled. He turned around to see Bia and one of her girlfriends.

"What is it Sam? Can't you see I'm busy helping _our_ team?" He retorted.

"Water boy!" a voice called.

"Whatever man. If I were you I'd be more focused on serving your time." Sam replied.

"I'm not a prisoner! I can leave whenever I want!" The male chick grumbled.

"Hey, come on. Stop poking at my brother." Bia interrupted.

"You do it too." Sam countered.

Bia rolled her eyes and shot away.

"H-h-hey Bia, wait for me!" Sam shouted prior to darting off after her friend.

"Ugh, girls." Tiago groused. He then went back to his punishment, filling up water cups.

"Hm, I thought I saw them around here." Yet another young voice hit Tiago's eardrums.

The young spix macaw turned around to see another one of Bia's friends. But this one was different.

"WATER BOY" the voice called again, but once more fell on deaf ears.

"Oh hey Tiago. Have you seen your sister? I thought I just saw them nearby." She inquired.

Tiago opened his beak, but not much came out.

"I-uh-t-they-thatway!" He said slurring his speech and pointing in the direction where his sister had just departed to.

The young female macaw giggled.

"I don't get what everyone says, you're funny. See you Tiago!"

"S-see you!"

The little bird watched the female depart, and then turned to walk somewhere.

"Woah!"

Tiago slipped and fell on a cup.

"Ohhhh" He groaned as he sat upright. A water cup rested on his head.

Just then an angry blue macaw player marched up to Tiago.

"W-A-T-E-R B-O-Y!" He panted and swiped the cup from Tiago's head. In a flash he swigged it down, and then took off to return to team practice.

"_Well, at least I'm not stuck with Carla's duty."_ Tiago thought to himself.

"Oh my gosh! Stupid flies! EWWW!" Serendipitously, Carla screamed out from another part of the pit of doom.

Tiago evilly chuckled.

"Hehe, duty."

* * *

_And so, your time grows near. Your destiny awaits you my child. Shunned from the light, darkness embraces you with its warmth; Nurturing and fueling you so that you may follow your path. But for now, rest. Rest my child. Your time will come soon. Your future awaits, Egil. _

* * *

**There we go, the beginning of another story! Don't worry, the action will pick up soon. Leave a review, follow, and/or fav if you want. Thanks for reading!**


	2. Chapter 2: Gear Up

"Well, I guess the Amazon Rain Forest didn't get its name for nothing." Carla said with disdain as she watched the rain pour outside. Her siblings Tiago and Bia were sitting to her left and right respectively. The sky, as if in response, grumbled. A slight vibration was felt throughout the Gunderson tree hollow as a result. The rotund chick sighed and sat down facing the outside world with Bia on her right, and Tiago on her left. Blu looked at his family, and then glanced at his and Jewel's nest.

"As long as this whether keeps up, we aren't going to be leaving anytime soon." Blu stated lacking any emotion in his voice. He then look at his mate.

"Jewel, you want to get some rest?" Blu inquired.

"Yeah, it's not like there's anything else to do." Jewel replied before holding one of Blu's wings in her own. She looked lovingly into his eyes.

"Come on lovehawk." She said with a smile.

After the two lovebirds left to get some sleep together, their chicks were now alone to entertain themselves.

"According to my calculations, this multicell storm should ease up in about 40 minutes based on the coloration, size..." Bia licked her wing and stuck it in the air to feel the breeze.

"...and the current wind velocity."

Carla narrowed her eyes without losing focus on the storm.

"Don't you every get tired of being such a know it all?" She grumbled.

"At least I'm not molting." Bia snorted.

Carla's eyes widened and she lashed her head towards her little sister.

"You little…"

"Hey guys, as much as I would loooove to hear the rest of this conversation I kinda, uh, don't." Tiago interrupted from across the hollow.

Carla and Bia were momentarily confused as to how their brother managed to slip away without them noticing, but quickly shrugged it off. Instead they were more interested in what their little troublemaking sibling was up to. Seeing as there wasn't anything else to do, the two decided they would check up on what their bro was doing. Carla and Bia got up and made their way to the other side of the hollow, to find their brother rummaging through their father's fanny pack. His head was buried in the small nap sack as he pulled out various items.

"Hey Tiago!" Carla said in a yelling whisper.

"What?" Tiago replied in a casual, yet slightly irritated tone.

"Get out of dad's fanny pack! He'll kill you if he se-"

"Don't worry sis, it's called borrowing. Besides, dad will never know. I'll put everything I don't use back later." Tiago responded calmly.

Bia rolled her eyes. "I don't think you understand the definition of 'borrow' Tiago."

She soon noticed that Tiago wasn't paying any attention.

"Tiago, are you even listening?" The brainy little bird pestered.

"Ah, perfect!" Tiago excitedly exhaled as he pulled out a pack of matches. He then walked past his two sisters and up to a small leaf he rolled up into a tube. The little trouble maker ripped out some matches from the pack with his beak. He leaned over and dropped them into the tube along with some other items he "borrowed" from his father. Tiago attached a vine to his crude carrying pack and put it over his back as if he were an archer carrying arrows. He walked back in front of his siblings and slapped goggles over his face.

"Ok, I'm ready." Tiago proudly stated as his chest puffed out.

Bia and Carla slowly turned towards each other with baffled expressions. After a second, they simultaneously broke out in laughter. The young male chick was caught off guard by his sisters' reaction.

"Ti-tiago...hehe...what do you think you're doing?" Carla inquired as she recovered from laughing.

"What am I doing? I'm finding something to do today, and what better than an adventure!" He happily explained.

"Who do you think you are, Indiana Jones? Besides, mom and dad-"

"Mom and dad won't know I'm gone. And if something goes wrong, you guys will have ratted me out and everyone will be looking for me." Tiago interrupted.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. What makes you think me and Bia were just gonna sit by and let you have the rainforest to yourself!?" Carla lashed as he stepped forward towards her brother.

"Um, actually staying home doesn't sound like a bad idea." Bia inserted herself with a wing raised. However, her comment fell on deaf ears as her brother and sister continued their conversation.

"Oh come on Carla, I don't think adventuring is safe for you girls. Just leave the action to birds like me, pop-pop, and Roberto." Tiago countered.

"Actually, dad was an instrumental player in the battle between us and the loggers, so you should add him to the list." Bia interjected once more.

"Wait a second, did you just say we couldn't handle a little action!? We girls can do whatever you boys can do!" Carla angrily rebutted.

"Oh yeah? And who says I'll let you come?" The male blue bird snorted with a smirk.

* * *

**15 Minutes later...**

The mini monsoon had finally ceased, and the Amazon rain forest was a humidness. The air was so thick, one could choke on it. Yet, there was a beauty to this. The flowers and leaves on all of the vegetation sparkled from the drops of water.

"So where did you say this cave we were going to explore was bro?" Carla queried as she flew next to her brother over the amazon.

Tiago rubbed the back of his neck with his talon trying to recollect where said cave was. "Hm, I remember Roberto saying it was somewhere west of the great pond...or something like that."

Carla narrowed her eyes. "Hold on a second bro. You don't even know where this place is!?"

"Weeeeell, uh, actually...no." The male bird answered, changing his expression to a nervous one.

"I don't believe this. You drag me and Bia out here, and you don't even know where we're supposed to go!" Carla growled. Unconsciously, the two birds were slowly increasing their velocity.

"In my defense it's not easy spying on pop-pop's secret meetings." Tiago defended.

"Wait guys, let's land for a sec!" Bia called from behind. Carla sighed and made a U-turn.

"Whatever" Tiago grumbled to himself before following his sister towards a nearby branch.

"What? Can't you see we're trying to find the cave?" Carla snapped at her sister, still mad a little at her brother's incompetence, as she landed to the right of her sister. However, Bia paid no attention to Carla's attitude and instead pointed forwards. The rotund female redirected her gaze to where her sister's wing was pointing. A second later, Tiago landed on Carla's right.

"Hey, what did you...guys...find?" His words slowed down and eventually came to a stop as he let the sight of his surroundings flood into his eyes. Before the three small birds, was one of the most impressive sights that any of them had seen. Tiago's eyes dilated while the thought of what exploration and adventure was yet to come flourished in his mind.

"Man, that's a big cave." He chuckled euphorically.

* * *

**In The Void**

The void was a dark, desolate, bleak, and cold, the list could go on forever. It was the antithesis of life, and one the favorite places for a certain nether bird. This bird the king of this emptiness, yet he was also a prisoner of it. He was pure darkness, and considered deplorable by most. As he paced, his outline absorbed even the most insignificant levels of ambient light found in the void. The vile serum that was his blood became poisoned by his corrupted soul as it pulsed through his body. The only light that he generated came from his eyes. This bird's red pupils pierced through the fog of desolation in the void. He mumbled to himself as he paced.

"**Memories…they are the most powerful and influential component of a living entity. They are what comprises the very fabric of an individual, and differentiate one being from the next. Yet, ironically, they are the most easily manipulable part of an intelligent being." **He dark bird held a monologue aimed, seemingly, towards no one. He moved over to another portion of the void before he stopped and spread his wings out in front of him. The bird closed his execrable eyes and mumbled some words. Suddenly a bright light shined in the form of a sphere.

"**Hm, let's take a look at your mind my child. Maybe I can alleviate you of your…your **_**burden**_**."** The dark bird sneered as he pressed his wings into the ball of light.

_I'm sorry dad. I'm sorry for being rebellious. But you shunned me, remember? I never felt welcomed by my own blood. My siblings were fine, sure…but me? I was the runt. And you never forgave me for something I couldn't control! So fine, be that way. I belong with Inselator now. He...he is my new father._

* * *

**And so the plot thickens! I'll be updating Rhythm of the Jungle next before I continue this story. Your reviews are greatly appreciated! See you all later,**

**Egil out**


	3. Chapter 3: Spelunking

The three chicks stood on the tree branch for a moment and marveled at the sight of such a large landmark. The cave had an enormous entrance in the form of a jagged hole in the ground. It had an approximate radius comparable to that of a medium sized SUV. Thoughts of what awaited them stirred in the heads of the young spix macaws.

"So, you guys ready? Or you all too chicken?" Tiago pestered.

Carla didn't even give her brother the dignity of a response and took off with Bia by her side. This was pretty strange given that the two didn't speak yet they were able to coordinate a timed take off. But that may just be chalked up to being siblings and knowing what one another is generally thinking. Tiago sniffed casually before taking off after his sisters. The trio perched themselves on the ledge of the circle and looked down in the abyss.

"Wow. This is actually, kind of beautiful. It's amazing how big nature is sometimes." Carla marveled as she gazed at the natural wonder. Bia promptly hopped next to her sister and looked at the hole with a perplexed expression contrary to the transfixed one that Carla displayed.

"I just don't understand how this happened. I mean, we aren't even close to a fissure in the South American tectonic plate. What would cause these subterranean labyrinths to be exposed?" She thought out loud.

Tiago just shrugged.

"I dunno, and I really don't care about your technical platters"

"Tectonic plates". Bia corrected.

"Yeah, that, whatever. Let's just go in, k?" Tiago sighed. He then proceeded closer to the hole so that he was precariously perched on the rim. He rubbed his beak and then continued to pull out some dental floss out of his pack.

"Ok, Carla you and Bia hold this end of the rope while I tie the other end around my waist. You two will lower me down slowly using a pulley system I'll make using-"

"Achem" Carla interjected.

Tiago turned around to see his sisters hovering over the cavern entrance. They both had the 'you moron' look on their face.

Tiago chuckled nervously being slightly embarrassed. "Hehe, oh yeah."

* * *

The three siblings slowly descended to the base of the subterranean system. The floor of the cave was littered with small pebbles about a centimeter or two in length. Rays of light shafts shone in on an angles from the surface and dissipated about halfway on its way to the ground. It was cold and humid. Carla shivered.

"Man, w-w-why is it s-s-so cold?" Carla inquired as she turned to look at her sister.

Bia jumped a little in excitement.

"Well, for one hot air rises and cold air sinks."

"Hey guys! I found…like a hallway! This way sis!" Tiago called out from one of the ends of the cylindrical room.

After a few minutes of spelunking, the trio was no closer to anything of interest.

"Oh, and then the difference between the barometric pressure of the surface and of the subterranean structure may also play a role in the decreased temperature due to air cur-"

"Ok!" Carla instinctually yelled at her sister from anxiety.

There was a brief moment of awkward eye contact.

"I-uh…I mean…" Carla stammered.

"No no, I get it. I totally understand, no need to be sorry." Bia assured her sister. Then, feeling piqued, the bird promptly flew off to the front to join her brother.

"_Why does my Knowledge always ostracize me from the ones I love? How can intelligence, the one thing that we all strive for, stifle one's ability to amalgamate to the point of loneliness and isolation?"_ Bia assessed. Unfortunately for Bia, her thoughts clouded her focus on flight and she bumped into her brother. They both tumbled down onto the ground next to each other, Tiago dropping his torch and losing his pack in the process.

"Oh man" Tiago groaned as he lay on his back. The bird quickly sat up and turned to his sister.

"You ok sis?"

Bia, who was lying with her face on the cave floor, lifted her beak and spat out some gravel.

"Yeah, I think so." She replied. Her expression soon turned to an inquisitive one.

"Hey Tiago…?"

"Eh?" Tiago responded whilst rubbing his neck with his right wing.

"Um, match?" Bia implied.

Tiago's eyes sprang wide open.

Carla flew up at that moment.

"Hey guys… uh what are you doing on the floor?"

Just then a fizzling sound was heard and the cave went completely dark.

"Oh" Carla said flatly.

"Don't worry guys, I'll just feel for my pack and pull out another match. Just a sec." Tiago explained as he began feeling around the moist floor for his torches.

About fifteen seconds later Tiago happily chirped.

"Got it!"

"OWCH! TIAGOOO!" Carla shrieked.

"Um, hehe. Sorry?" Tiago nervously chuckled.

"I'm gonna kill you once the lights are back". The chubby bird growled.

"You know what, the funny thing is I actually believe you?" He casually responded.

"Oh, got it! For real this time!"

A second later Tiago swiped the match against the cave wall, and the room in which they were located suddenly was engulfed in the light of a fresh match once more.

"So anyway, let's continue." He said smiling as he took off down the corridor, adjusting his pack over his wing.

Bia shrugged, and followed Tiago. Carla followed suit, still irritated from her brother's shenanigans despite the fact that it really wasn't intentional.

After a while more of walking, the team had gone through many forks in the road and quite a few matches.

Carla sighed.

"Listen Tiago, as much as I _love_ walking through disgusting, slimy, dark, dank caves…I don't."

"Ok ok, I just… just give me a little bit more. I can feel something. Something is in here. Something special." The male bird insisted.

"Yeah, well you know what?" Carla said stopping her forward momentum.

"I think I'm just gonna go back home. Mom and dad are probably looking for us by now anyway." The plump bird counted with an irritated tone.

Tiago stood still and looked ahead into the dark distance.

"I guess you're ri-"

***crack***

"What did you say?" Bia quickly peeped.

"Oh no, that's not good." Tiago sighed.

A faint grumbling sound in the distance echoed through the tunnel. As the seconds ticked it grew ever louder, and the ground shook ever more intensely.

"Your right! Let's get out of here!" Tiago screamed.

The three birds took off in flight through the narrow tunnel, fearing for their lives. Tiago looked behind him to see Bia and Carla panic stricken.

"Bia, what in the world is going on!?" Tiago mandated.

"Well, I-I…I have no idea!" Bia screeched.

"I'll tell you what's going on!" Carla screamed as she dodged a small rock.

"The friggin' cave is falling apart!" She vociferated.

The trio did their best to outrun the collapsing cave, but as the tunnel they were flying through shrank, and the disintegrating ceiling encroached on them, the chances of escape diminished.

"Woah!" Tiago yelled as he met a dead end. The three birds slammed into the cave wall, and sharply turned around just in time to see the falling chunks of gravel and rock come to ensure their demise. Carla and Bia, who were on Tiago's left and right respectively, held onto their brother in fear.

"Tiago!" They screamed in terror.

The boy who always had some comeback or snip or remark for once found himself speechless. He was now confronted with the end, and at his fault too. Time slowed as his brain processed all this. He tightly held onto his sisters.

"_I'm sorry guys. I love you."_

Just then everything went dark when the ceiling collapsed on the spix chicks.

* * *

**In the void**

"**Show me your past my child, so I can fix your wounds. Open your mind to me and let the darkness fill it. Embrace the face of your new master, the new freedom you never knew. Your own conscience will either tear you apart of be torn apart itself." The nether bird commanded as he pressed his wings into the ball of light.**

"N-n-no! Insulator you vile, deplorable monster! You'll never win, I'll never give up!" A voice screamed in pain from within the light.

"**Oh but that is where you are wrong. I have you in my midst, don't I? I HAVE already won my child… and you have already given up." The intimidating nether being replied suavely.**

The light did not respond but instead yelled in short bursts as the pain shot through it intermittently.

"**Pitty, really. Abandoned by your mother and shunned by your father. Tsk tsk. You showed such great promise. But none of that matters anymore, does it Egil? Heh, you probably won't even remember this conversation." The darkness mused.**

"Master Inselator!" A Tricolored blackbird called out.

"**Yes?" Inselator calmly replied.**

"Master, just as you said the cave has been opened. And we took care of the trespassers just like you instructed." The blackbird reported before saluting. His chest puffed quickly and nervously. This was no doubt because many of Inselator's minions were killed violently by the nether bird himself, just for sport.

"**Hehe, perfect. Now we wait, wait for the gate to open… wait for our chance to reclaim what it rightfully ours!" The dark bird growled with a vehement passion as spit flew out of his beak and his red eyes burned with rage.**

**He calmed down as he returned to his normal demeanor.**

"**Just wait…"**

* * *

Tiago's eyelids shot open as he felt air flow through his chest once more. He panicked for a few moments before slowly calming down. He was once again in total darkness.

"Woah" He sighed in relief. Then a thought shot through his head.

"Carla! Bia!" He yelled for his sisters.

"Owwww" A moaning sound could be heard by two voices simultaneously.

"Come one bro, stop with the yelling." Carla's voice whined.

"Yeah, please." Bia chimed in from somewhere nearby.

"Ok, good we're all together. Is everyone ok?" Tiago inquired.

"Hard to tell, I dunno, considering its pitch black!" Carla snorted.

"Yep, she's ok." Tiago mumbled to himself.

"Don't worry, I'll find my matches again." He assured everyone.

"Where oh where did my little torch go, oh where oh where could it be… with its… uh, dang it its just a stick. Nothing to really song about" The male bird silently spoke to himself in order to stay somewhat entertained in the dark.

Nearby, Bia was sitting down, twiddling her talons as she waited for the light to come back.

"_I wonder if we'll ever get out of this mess alive? Why did Tiago want to come here so bad in the first place anyway? What's so special?"_ Thoughts swirled through Bia's head as she waited.

Finally, Carla had managed to stand up, no easy feat in a dark uneven cave, and was slowly rubbing her left wing with her right.

"_You know, I should try to be nicer to Tiago. Maybe the reason why he's such a trouble maker is because no one believes in him. I mean, he seems to be different when he's leading us through this place."_

Thankfully, Tiago managed to find the last match he had brought and struck it on a relatively dry spot of cave.

"There we g,….woooaahhh." Tiago marveled as the light reveled where they now were.

Bia and Carla looked up to see that they were no longer in a small tunnel, but rather a large dome. Despite being poorly lit due to the small nature of the match, it was obvious they were dwarfed by the colossal nature of the room.

"Cheese and sprinkles" Bia exhaled.

On the opposite end of the dome was a seemingly ancient relief sculpture made out of the stone wall. The three birds flew over to marvel at it. On the bottom were the words: marele război de lumină.

"Hey Bia, can you read this?" Tiago asked without losing eye contact with the wall.

"Hmm, I think it says, roughly, The great war of light."

The carving depicted a great battle. On the right were birds adorned with intricate battle garments. They proudly wore helmets and chest plates, and wielded great swords, shields, and metal battle talons.

"Hey, there's more." Bia added. She squinted trying to read the small writing in the dim cave.

"Hey bring that torch over here" She instructed to Tiago.

Tiago acquiesced and held the match closer.

"The great warriors six win victory over the nether. Forever vanquishing the evil force into the dark realm." She read as she ran her wingtip over the words.

"Huh, three of those look like us." Carla chuckled being amused.

Bia and Tiago looked up to see shockingly familiar, albeit seeming older birds.

"Yeah, they do look like us." Tiago answered.

Then something caught Bia's attention.

"Guys, look at this!" Bia said pointing to a deteriorating portion of the wall, which revealed a secret entrance/exit.

"Maybe it's a way out?" She added.

Tiago and Carla shrugged and followed Bia through the slit.

On the other side was an altar, with six statues (three on each side) and a square on a pedestal on the altar itself.

The trio slowly walked up to the altar, passing the six statues on the way. Something about the three on the left intrigued them.

In front of the altar was a square plate, slightly higher in elevation (about a centimeter or two) than the surrounding floor. The siblings unknowing stepped on the plate, one at a time, until all of them were putting their full body weight on it. This caused the square plate to drop down and fall to the height of the surrounding floor.

"What was that about?" Bia asked out loud, examining the floor.

Just then the stone square, which had intricate engravings on it and was resting on the altar, began disintegrating into dust. As it did so it revealed a pyramidal blue gem. It was a beautiful, radiant gem that shined like the night sky but with the blue aura of the day. However, its calm glow soon grew more powerful. A humming sound could be heard.

"Uh guys, I don't think this is a good sign." Carla whined.

Tiago, Carla, and Bia tried to move away, but some force was keeping them still.

"H-hey! I can't move!" Bia exclaimed in fear.

The light from the gem grew ever more intense, and the sound which emanated from it became more aggressive. Suddenly, beams of light shot out of the gem and attached themselves to the chests of the three birds.

"Ahhhhh!" They screamed in unison.

Lights flashed and thunder roared as if the three found themselves in the middle of a thunder cloud. After a few second of this, Bia collapsed on the floor and subsequently her body dispersed into nothingness.

"BIA!" Tiago, who was paying close attention to his siblings through all of this, screamed in rage and pain.

Out of the base of the pyramid gem came thick black fog. It moved like tar over the ground and enveloped the floor.

"Tiago! I'm, I'm not sure…agh…if I can take this much longer." Carla yelled to her brother as she flinched in pain.

Tiago was going to say something to his sister when a loud clash resounded and a bright light flashed. In a second his second sister had vanished.

Now it was just him. Random balls of light with blue trails shot out of the gem in seemingly random directions.

"Arrrrggggggg!" Tiago bawled and wretched in agony as he laid on the floor.

And, just as he thought it was the end. Just as soon as it all came, everything vanished. The room, the gem, everything. The male bird found himself standing on a sheet of a thin glass-like structure in the vastness of space, nothing but stars surrounded him.

As difficult as all this was to take in, it was about to become even more abstruse. Tiago stood still, panting but surprised that he felt somewhat invigorated. He stared at the stars in the sky for a moment until a dark voice resounded through his head.

"**Hello my child"**

* * *

**Whew! Well that was a lot I think. But it feels good to be back with another chapter! Hope you all enjoyed this update. I'm not sure when the next one will come out, as I prefer quality over quantity. Thanks for stopping by, and I hope you all have a good day!**

_**Guest review responses:**_

**_Ca_****_lvin: __You wanted more? Well there you go :) I'll try to let them bond, def._**

**Anon: Well now you know what was in the cave and how they explored it eh. Glad you stopped by! Thanks for reviewin**g.


	4. Important Story Update

Hey everyone,

I feel the time has come to officially suspend Epix. I really liked this story and had a good direction for it, but unfortunately I just flat outright don't have the time to maintain multiple stories like this while trying to keep them quality driven. I really would like to thank everyone who supported this story and supported me, because without you all I really couldn't have made it this far. The other two stories I have are still being written, albeit the sport one is going to be short. So until further notice, Epix is suspended indefinitely. If I can't give this story the time and effort it deserves, then its not a story I want to continue writing. I apologize if this is disappointing, but it just makes it easier for me to manage. It saddens me to do this as I really hate leaving things unfinished. However, I will take this time to improve upon my existing main story (Rhythm of the Jungle) and in the process try to clean it up and make it really great. Once again, I really appreciate your amazing support and I hope you all have a nice day :)

\- Egil


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